Having just crossed the Jordan, and with the promised land now under his feet, Joshua and the people of Israel began the process of possessing the promise which began a generation before when the Lord led Israel out of Egyptian bondage. The Lord Himself now stands before Joshua, outfitted for combat, ready to lead Israel into battle. It was clear there would be no conquest without battle; yet, the scene is familiar.

A generation earlier Moses stood before Sinai’s burning bush, and the Lord spoke to him, calling him to lead Israel out of bondage. He, like Joshua now, was instructed to “take off your shoes.” The Commander’s assignment had to begin with worship.

Standing on man-made plans, human strength, or fleshly desire will never accomplish deliverance from sin’s bondage or the possession of God’s promise for our lives. Our bare-footed, empty-handed, fall-on-your-face-before-the-Lord dependence is the one sure route to ultimate freedom in our personal lives and victory for those we lead.